Philippine E-Journals

Strengthening Senior High School and General Education Program: Reflections on the 2016 Policy Forum of the National Research Council of the Philippines

Brian Saludes Bantugan

 

Abstract:

With the implementation of Grades 11 and 12 in the Philippines through the Enhanced Basic Education Act, adjustments had to be made not only in basic education but also in tertiary education. As subjects that were initially considered part of the General Education curriculum in college were redesigned and moved to senior high school, the courses in the first two years in tertiary education had to be reconfigured which is part of an even more regionalized and internationalized economic community. The harmonization of education in the ASEAN Region challenges K-12 program to proceed with a college readiness standard and a new general education curriculum that will produce employment and entrepreneurship ready graduates. While the new general education curriculum seems very promising, it does present a number of challenges, some of which have yet to surface during its actual implementation. The National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) recognizes the enhancement of the basic educational system through the Senior High School Program and the new General Education Program as a way to upgrade the educational system in the Philippines but it needs to address seeming lack of foresight on issues setting the competency and outcomes targets for which the changes were intended. This paper, while recognizing this new educational imperative arising from the regional economic imperative, calls for a critical education at all levels.